One Month
by CapricornCapi
Summary: Akito's chilling message has left everyone in Shigure's household disturbed and uneasy. Big changes are set to occur all too soon. 'One month.' Chapter 3: Muse is up
1. Foreshadow

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya. Not me. I do not claim the characters or story, but the words were all written by me, and the specific scenes came out of my head_  
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* * *

_-Darkness._

_Everything, shrouded in oppressive shadows._

_Everyday, another endless abyss of hunger, fear, and loneliness._

_Every time, wishing for it all to end._

_Wishing for a less despicable, less pitiable existence._

_This was a world of false hope. Living in darkness, yet beyond one door, freedom. He could even see, through a few narrow openings in the door, the world was there. The real world. But not his world._

_Every time these thoughts, these feelings, started to overwhelm him, the face appeared. A shadowed face, obscured by the brightness of the light he was now unaccustomed to. The light, so like a halo around the face. It was like an angel just out of reach. His own guardian angel, so near, yet so far away. _

_And then the face would fade again. And he was alone. Again.-_

Warm sunlight filtered through the thin, breezy curtains, soaking thoroughly into Kyo's tensed muscles, relaxing them. Slightly. His eyes, flung open only seconds before, stared fixedly at one spot on the opposite wall, refusing to blink. Damn it. The dream. It wasn't a new dream, but it had become increasingly frequent in the last few months. It was the third night in a row now.

Kyo dragged himself wearily out of bed, cursing under his breath as his tightened muscules rebelled horribly. His stomach churned, daring him to be sick. No. Not today. Not ever. This would not, would never, defeat him. He was stronger than this.

"Good morning, Kyo-kun!"

Kyo blinked groggily at the sound of the voice before managing some form of an unintelligible grunt as a reply. He fell heavily to the floor beside table, cradling his head in his arms, shielding his eyes against the sunlight that was altogether far too bright.

"Kyo-kun overslept today! He's normally up very early, isn't he? Even Yuki-kun was awake before Kyo-kun!" Tohru chirped, carrying her breakfast and Kyo's to the table, having just finished preparing it. She placed his plate carefully on the table before him and knelt beside him, her usual cheery smile already fixed in position. She glanced over to Kyo's lowered head, concerned about his lack of response. "Kyo-kun? Is Kyo-kun alright? Do you feel sick?" She leaned over and smoothed back Kyo's messy hair, placing her small, cool hand on his forhead, checking for fever. He flinched back, lightly nudging her hand away, though somewhat regretfully.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, turning his head away sharply. He hated the fact that he caused those lines of worry to crease her pretty face, yet a bit... gratified to know that he could.

"But Kyo-kun looks so pale! A-are you sure you're feeling alright? I could get some medicine..." she said quickly, half-rising from her seat.

"Stupid! I'm fine, so just eat!" he snapped, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back down. Tohru gazed at him, her eyes wide and unsure. "Kyo-kun..." He loosened his grip and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me," he said, his tones gentler, quieter.

"If I may interrupt, baka neko..." came a cool voice from the other side of the table. Kyo choked and flung himself back, his face blushing crimson. "K-kuso nezumi! What are you doing, sneaking up on people like that!"

Yuki shot him a look that was pure contempt. "I have been here all along, baka neko. Perhaps you should use your eyes more often, unless you think it may damage your woefully small brain even further," he sneered. "Ah, Honda-san... are you leaving already?" he asked politely, watching Tohru jump up and grab her bag, ignoring Kyo's audibly muttered curses.

"Um, yes. I have classroom duties this morning, so I thought I'd head out early today. I don't want to- ah!" she cried and broke off as the telephone rang. She took a few swift steps in its direction before hearing Shigure's bright voice answering it.

"Mii-chan, don't worry, I'll have the pages finished by tonight, I was only kidding- oh! Ha-san, what a surprise! Why would Hatori-san be doing calling here this early? You wouldn't want to speak to Tohru-kun, would you?" he rambled, winking cheerfully at Tohru's puzzled face. "What's that? Ahh... I see. Alright then. I'll talk to you later, Ha-san. Yes, yes, I'll be sure to do it," he said, his face suddenly somber. He turned to Tohru and declared brightly, "Ha-san says hi!"

"Um... what was all that about, Shigure-san? You sounded a bit... worried," she asked hesitantly, her eyes watching his face carefully.

"Ah? Oh, nothing, nothing at all! Ha-san simply wanted me to check and see if I still had a book I borrowed a few years ago," he grinned, reaching out to pat Tohru's head like a puppy's. "Run along now, before you're late to school."

"Oh. Ok. Well... I'll be off now," she said, smiling over at Yuki and Kyo as she slipped out the front door.

Yuki watched the door for several moments after she left before shooting a glance at Shigure. "What was that really about?"

Shigure chuckled and stepped up to the table. He settled himself comfortably on one of the floor cushions and scratched casually at his chest beneath his brown robe. "It appears that Ha-san had a bit of a message for us... or more accurately, you two." _It really is interesting how alike these two are_, Shigure thought lazily, watching happily as the two boys narrowed their eyes in open mistrust of the novelist.

"From Akito."

It was remarkable how much effect that one little word had. Kyo's crimson eyes flashed furiously, his hands clenching into solid fists. In stark contrast, Yuki seemed to freeze up. His breath caught in his throat and his arms went limp on the table they rested on. Truly remarkable.

"Yes, I thought you'd be interested. His message is, simply: One month." Shigure's mouth contorted itself into a wry smirk of twisted pleasure. He did love these sorts of things.

"Graduation," Yuki whispered. He shot a glance at Kyo. Despite Shigure's claims that this message was for both of them, in truth, it was more for Kyo. He knew that. He knew that all too well. If Yuki was honest with himself, he knew that he too pitied the cat. Pitied its curse. Pitied its undeniable future. "Kyo..." he started.

"Shut the hell up, kuso nezumi! You don't have a clue, do you, you bastard!?" Yuki flinched and looked away. The cat's face was still pale, but a red flush of anger crept steadily up his neck and across his cheeks. "How would you know what it's like to-!" Cold fury choked back his words. Firey crimson eyes glared murderously from beneath his sweaty brow. Without another word, Kyo stalked stiffly out of the room. Shigure sighed heavily at the sound of feet pounding heavily at the stairs. "Ah well. At least he didn't break anything. Yet," he added dramatically.

Yuki stared, unmoving, at the table. "Baka neko," he muttered softly.

Shigure shot Yuki a look. "This doesn't change the fact that it's going to happen sooner or la-. That it's going to happen soon," he corrected himself. "We all knew it would happen. We just need to deal with it one way or another," Shigure pointed out. Yuki shook his head numbly. "I... I'm going to school now."

Shigure watched wordlessly as Yuki pulled himself upright and slunk out of the room in silence to gather his things. This would undoubtedly be interesting. He couldn't help but be eager to discover how this played out. Despite his cool, practical facade, he had little interest in assisting Yuki nor Kyo. Yet he wanted no part in Akito's plans at the same time. He decided to just sit back and watch the show... for now. Heaving another great sigh, he levered himself to his feet and glanced once around the room. It was really almost unnerving how that short conversation left the cozy little room so cold. Shigure gave a short little laugh under his breath. _This_ will _be interesting_, he thought to himself, making his way to his study.

No one left in the room, the sound of small, quiet feet racing at last away from the house was left unnoticed.

* * *

"Tohru? Tohru...? Tohru!" 

"Ah! Yes?!" TOhru squeaked, suddenly jerked from her daze. "Um, sorry? W-what did you say?" She laughed weakly, tugging at her hair in fake nonchalance.

Uo gave Tohru a suspicious look. "You ok? You've been out of it all day," she said bluntly. "You feel sick or something?" she asked, her voice slightly concerned. "You need to take it easy. You don't need to work so hard all the time, you know." Ignoring Tohru's weak protests, she continued. "Anyway, what was I saying? Oh, right. Have you stared studying for the finals yet? We only have a month left, you know."

"Eh? Oh... not really. I guess I didn't realize they were quite so soon. Other... other things have been on my mind lately, I suppose." She smiled apologetically, missing Uo's dubious look. Hana reached over and patted Tohru's arm gently. "Don't worry about it, Tohru-kun. I haven't started studying yet, either," she reassured Tohru, smiling softly at her.

"Tch. I wouldn't use you as an example to her, Hanajima," Uo brushed off carelessly. "In any case, you can just ask the Prince to help you. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to be able to help," she said, smiling wryly.

"Oh no, I couldn't impose on him like that!" she exclaimed, her cheeks tinged with pink. "Yuki-kun already has his own exams to worry about; I can't be a bother to him like that!"

"It's no bother at all, Honda-san." Tohru gasped and swung around at the sound of the voice. Yuki stood just behind her, smiling tolerantly down at her.

"Yuki-kun! You surprised me!" she said shrilly, her heart pounding. He laughed gently at her startled expression. "Honda-san knows I'm always glad to help," he reminded her.

"Exactly. So don't worry about it," Uo declared in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. She reached out and patted Tohru firmly on the head. "You'll do fine. And then it's graduation, and out of school for good!" Hana nodded serenely beside her. Tohru couldn't help but smile and be reassured. Who could worry with friends like Uo-chan and Hana-chan to stand beside her?

"Which reminds me... Where's Kyon today? I was hoping to be able to give him some grief about the exams. He's skipping today?" Uo pouted, folding her arms and leaning casually against the wall.

Tohru glanced briefly at Uo's face before gazing down at her hands. She scuffed her foot lightly against the floor. "Um... that is..." she started, at a loss for words. "He was..."

"Kyo was feeling a bit... unwell today," Yuki supplied coolly. He shot a sharp look at Tohru's discomfort. He'd noticed that she'd seemed a bit out-of-sorts today. Why? She'd been fine earlier.

"Right. 'Unwell'. He just doesn't want to take any more of the teachers' bull," Uo snorted. "Ahhh... whatever," she yawned, stretching her arms stiffly above her head. "Hey Tohru, do you want to come shopping with us after school? Hana said she found a really great shop the other day." Hana nodded her agreement. "Tohru-kun would look wonderful in some of the clothes there," she affirmed quietly.

"I'm so sorry! I need to study," Tohru said unhappily, her face downcast. "I really want to, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to pass the exams. I... I really have to..." she murmured. _Mother..._

uo's eyes softened. Tohru really did work hard. She pulled Tohru into a loose, one-armed hug. "Don't worry about it. We can go shopping anytime. Just do your best, ok?" She smiled easily down at Tohru, her smile widening as the smaller girl's face perked up. It was funny how making Tohru happy could make anyone smile. She was just that sort of girl. "Well, the bell's gonna ring soon. We'd better start heading to class. Lunch is always over way too soon." Uo turned sharply, wheeling Tohru around with her. Side by side, they led the way back to the classroom through the currently deserted hallways.

* * *

"Ah! I see! Thank you so much, Yuki-kun!" 

Yuki couldn't help but smile at Tohru's utterly thrilled expression. "It's no trouble, Honda-san. Once you get the hang it, it's quite easy. You'll be a pro in no time." Tohru's cheeks flushed happily. Yuki-kun was just so good to her. Even as the warm rush of joy settled in her mind, she felt a sudden, sharp pang in her stomach. How much longer would this go on for? Her hopes and fears, dreams and nightmares seemed to fall heavily on her chest, fighting to overpower her. Deep within her, she felt a burning desire to ask about her anxieties; yet at the same time, she knew that she shouldn't; she couldn't. She dropped her gaze from their books and fidgeted slightly.

"Um... Y-yuki-kun?" she said quietly, her eyes fixed nervously on her hands folded neatly on the table.

"Hmmm?" he looked curiously over to her. "Honda-san? What is it?" Those eyes. Those eyes, so full of unconditional trust and affection. Where had they gone? He'd noticed it today especially. The change was only subtle, and she tried to hide it behind cheerful words ands bright smiles, but her heart didn't seem to be behind it anymore. Her hands... the skin over knuckles wAS drawn and white, one hand clenched tightly over the other. Why? "What's wrong, Honda-san?" He reached out a hand and placed it lightly on her's. He could feel the tension in those hands, and wanted so much to help. So much. Why was he so incapable at times like these? Why was he so

_-powerless?-_

Tohru shook her head quickly and gave him a shaky smile, avoiding his eyes. "Ah... nothing. Thank you so much, Yuki-kun, for helping me. I- I need to start dinner before it gets too late." She made to get up hastily, but Yuki's hand tightened, restraining her.

"Honda-san. Tell me what's wrong. Honda-san mustn't bottle up her feelings. You'll make yourself ill," he said, his eyes filled with concern. She had always been so susceptible to fevers. Whatever she was fretting over would definitely make her sick if this carried on. Yuki ran a gentle thumb over her hand, stroking it soothingly. "Honda-san can talk to me," he said softly.

No. She'd known. She'd known for so long. Yet she'd managed to put it to the back of her mind. She'd wanted to forget. She'd wanted to believe that it wasn't true. No...

_Kyo-kun... Yuki-kun..._

Her eyes burned terribly. She tucked her chin hastily, trying to smother the tears that filled her eyes, blurred her vision. She couldn't prevent them. She couldn't stop them. She tried desperately to blink them away, but to no avail. The action only caused a single tear to slide slowly down her pale cheeks. That one tear was like the key to a floodgate.

"I- I'm so stupid." Tohru laid her head down on her arms, trying in vain to hide the tears that broke free from her eyes. She'd tried to restrain them. She didn't want to cry. Not like this. Her chest heaved with sobs that she barely managed to stifle. Why did she have to be so stupid?

"Honda-san..." Yuki slid smoothly across the floor and knelt beside her. "Honda-san is not stupid. You're never stupid. You shouldn't listen to that baka neko," he said firmly, reaching out his other hand to gently touch her hair. Far from comforting her, her sobs only grew louder. "Honda-san...' he whispered, sliding his hand to her face, his touch feather light as he stroked her cheek softly, slowly.

They sat together like that, unmoving, for a long time. Seconds, minutes, hours... they all blended together. It could have been a moment, it might have been a lifetime. Neither could know for sure. Gradually, quietly, Tohru's cries softened, began to die down, leaving her crumpled and exhausted on the floor. She felt so helpless. Pathetic. Broken. She was so useless. She felt... numb. She could barely feel Yuki's hand on her face. She was vaguely aware of his cool fingers brushing away glistening tears from her hot cheeks, but was unable to move or say anything. Pathetic.

"Honda-san... doesn't have to be strong. It's ok to cry." He wiped the last of her tears from her eyes, marveling as he did the beauty of her eyes glistening, tears clinging to her eyelashes. Such a strange thought at a time like this. Tohru sniffled helplessly. She seemed so fragile. Yuki leaned forward slightly and pressed his forehead slightly against hers. Their eyes were the barest inch away as they each gazed openly at the other. Slowly, slightly, Tohru's lips twitched into a half smile. She broke away from the touch, regretfully, as Yuki liked to believe. Her face slowly faded back to it's usual color, the pink blotches blending smoothly into her rosy cheeks. Bloodshot eyes cleared as they sat together in silence, merely enjoying the closeness they shared. Only after Tohru seemed to have fully composed herself and returned to herself, did Yuki withdraw his from her face.

"Now. What was that about?" he breathed, his voice hardly audible. Tohru shook her head slowly to the side. How could she explain all of the emotions that rose within her, threatening to overwhelm her in even the shortest lapses of control?

"I'm feeling a bit... s-stressed, I guess," she said. "Graduation is so soon, and the exams..." She glanced meekly up at Yuki. "I'm a bit out-of-sorts," she said apologetically. "I'm sorry I troubled Yuki-kun."

"Honda-san never troubles me," Yuki insisted. He smiled tenderly at her, reaching out to brush her long bangs from her eyes. "Next time Honda-san feels that way... she should come to me. We'll take a walk to the secret base. It helps to get your mind off of things." Tohru's eyes closed with a rush of pleasure. She nodded happily, her cheeks glowing with a bright blush.

"Ok." At long last, Tohru climbed to her feet and looked down at Yuki. "It's getting late. I'm going to go cook dinner now," she said, her smile cheerful. She crossed the room on swift feet, flying over the floorboards. As she stepped over the threshold, she turned and gave Yuki a tender, warm smile. "Yuki-kun... really. Thank you... for everything." Without another word, she disappeared from doorway, her hair breezing out behind her.

All traces of a smile slid smoothly from Yuki's face as his eyes riveted themselves firmly on the spot from which Tohru had vanished. Despite all of that, a sick feeling remained in his gut, an unease too troubling to simply force to the back of his mind. This wasn't the end of the matter. Sighing slightly, Yuki resolved to keep an eye on Tohru... just in case.


	2. Signs

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya. Not me. I do not claim the characters or story, but the words were all written by me, and the specific scenes came out of my head.

* * *

For once, Shigure's house was quiet. Yuki had shut himself in his room hours ago, working studiously towards the final exams. Kyo went to pay a visit to Kazuma shortly after breakfast, claiming that he needed assistance with some of his younger pupils. Shigure was in his study, "writing". There were none of the routine disruptive arguments or short-lived spars between Yuki and Kyo, and the house seemed strangely empty without Shigure's usual teasing and general perversion. The quiet was a pleasant change, but even so, one could not shake of the feeling of loneliness that haunted all of the rooms in the house. It seemed almost proverbial, a sight of what was to come.

Tohru flew deftly through the kitchen, practiced hands tending the salmon grilling easily in a pan on the stove, while keeping one eye on the rice cooker. Almost without her noticing, she began humming softly, a light, cheerful tune that seemed almost out of place in the somber house. Despite this, a gentle smile accentuated her pretty features. She refused to succumb to those feelings of despair and anxiety that tugged ruthlessly at her mind during idle hours.

A slight sigh escaped as she turned off the stove and glanced at the perfectly cooked salmon. She had prepared Kyo-kun's favorite food in the hopes that he would be home by now, but as it turned out, it came to nothing. She shrugged it off with a little laugh and skipped off to call Yuki and Shigure for lunch.

"Ah, it looks so good, Honda-san," Yuki said appreciatively as he sat down at the table. Tohru blushed lightly, smiling happily as she set his lunch down before him, as well as Shigure's.

"Yes, indeed. Such a pity Kyo-kun heartlessly decided to skip this delicious meal that our beloved Tohru-kun slaved away to prepare for us. Oh, how shameful!" Shigure announced theatrically. "At least our little flower has someone to appreciate her!" He reached out, clasping Tohru's wrist in a strong hand, pulling her gracefully to him. He leaned towards her as though to lay a kiss of her red cheek before flying backwards and letting out a cry of pain.

"Disgusting," Yuki said cooly, glaring down at the prostrate writer with distaste, letting his hand fall back down to the table. "You should keep away from him, Honda-san. You wouldn't want his disgusting germs to infect you."

"Yuki-kun! How cruel!" Shigure exclaimed tearfully over Tohru's embarrassed denials. He sighed regretfully as he returned stiffly and painfully to the table, looking like he was about to launch into yet another speech about the anger management issues of adolescent males before a sharp knock at the door interrupted him. Tohru immediately leapt up and hurried to answer the door.

She pulled the door open and was met by two teenaged boys; one beaming cheerfully at her, the other with a soft, but emotionless face. "Momiji-kun! Hatsuharu-san! It's so nice to see you!"

Momiji grinned at her and took her hand. "Haru and I were in the neighborhood and decided to stop by," he teased her gently, gesturing to the vast expanse of forest surrounding the house.

Tohru started, suddenly remembering her manners. "Ah! Please come in! We were just having dinner; won't you join us?" she babbled, a bit flustered, as she lead the way through the house to the others. "We're having salmon, is that okay with you two?" she asked, looking over her shoulder to smile happily at them. Haru nodded wordlessly while Momiji squeezed her hand lightly and announced, "Anything Tohru makes is perfect." Tohru laughed and invited them to sit at the table while she hurried into the kitchen to fetch more servings.

Yuki looked up in surprise at the unexpected guests. "Haru, Momiji. To what do we owe the pleasure?"he asked, his voice puzzled.

Momiji's eyes widened slightly, their cheerful glow dimming noticeably. He looked over at Hatsuharu, who shook his head. "Later," he promised blandly.

Yuki narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowed, but asked no questions. He could guess where their conversation would go. He sat in silence, he and Hatsuharu simply watching Momiji chatter gaily at Shigure. Once, Yuki caught Haru staring at him and met his eyes, but Haru just sighed and dropped his head.

Momiji suddenly sat up and looked around the room, as though seeing it for the first time, and realized with a start who was missing. "Where's Kyo?" he inquired, frowning uneasily. Yuki shrugged in annoyance, his long fingers brushing back long strands of silver-gray hair. "As if he would actually tell us where he goes." _Tell me, rather_, he said silently to himself. "I suppose he's visiting Shihan."

"Ah. That makes sense," Haru said shortly. "Bad luck?" he commented dryly. Momiji nodded wordlessly, his face slightly downcast.

After a few tense, uncomfortable minutes, Tohru hurried back into the room, her cheeks flushed. "Ah! Thank you for waiting!" She handed Momiji and Haru their dished before taking her seat at the table and returning to her own meal. "It's so kind of you to visit!" Tohru chirped happily, picking up her chopsticks. "We've been so busy the last few months that there hasn't really been time to get together like we used to. Momiji-kun is so tall now; he's almost as tall as Kyo-kun and Yuki-kun!"

Momiji laughed. "I'm going to be even taller than Haru at this rate; he'd better watch out," he joked. His eyes turned sympathetic as he looked at Yuki and Tohru. "Have they been working you hard at school?" he asked curiously. "We guessed that they had been, considering it's so close to graduation. There's one month left now, right?" he asked, his voice carefully casual. Haru glanced over at him, his eyes dark, but Momiji kept his gaze fixed firmly on the two third-years.

Yuki sighed heavily as Tohru replied in her bright, up-beat voice, "Oh, yes. We've had to study very hard lately. The final exams are very, soon, so..." She shrugged apologetically. "There's no helping it, I suppose. Yuki-kun has been very kind and has helped me study for it, so I'm not too worried about it. Yuki-kun would make a good teacher," she said thoughtfully.

Yuki chuckled quietly. "I don't know about that. I'm not that great at it," he told her humbly. Turning back to the two younger boys, he added, "As if I don't have enough to worry about, the Student Council keeps badgering me to pick the next Student Council President." He sighed again, this time irritation evident in his demeanor. Tohru laughed uncomfortably, feeling a bit guilty that she had complained when Yuki had even more work that she did. After all, he was the Student Council President.

"What about-." Momiji began, before a loud, angry voice interrupted him. "Oi!"

All eyes in the room turned towards the doorway, where Kyo now stood, glaring angrily at the two visitors.

"Kyo-kun!" Tohru jumped up immediately, beaming joyfully at Kyo. "Welcome home Kyo-kun! Let me get you some lunch!" She rushed hastily into the kitchen as Kyo glanced after her, slightly disarmed. After a moment, he seemed to snap back and demanded rudely, "What the hell are Haru and that dumb rabbit doing here?"

"Kyo, that's so mean," Momiji put in, injured. "We just stopped by for a visit." Haru looked Kyo up and down before adding, "We're glad you turned up, though.", much to Kyo's bewilderment.

"What? Aren't you here to see Tohru?" He scowled in irritation and suspicion.

Tohru skipped out of the kitchen once again and smiled cheerfully at Kyo, holding out his lunch to him. "I made your favorite today, Kyo-kun!" she said, her cheeks cutely tinged with a faint blush. "Please sit down and eat with us," she urged, a hint of a "puppy-dog" expression in her eyes.

Kyo glowered at the other (male) occupants of the room, and muttered bitterly, "I'm going to the roof." Tohru, looking visibly distressed, looked as though she wanted to say something, but restrained herself, biting her lip. "Oh... okay then. At least eat something, Kyo-kun. It's unhealthy to skip meals," she said unhappily, holding the bowl out to him again. Kyo looked down at her, feeling vaguely unsettled by her self-restraint. Then his face relaxed into a small, yet remarkably gentle smile and he reached out to take the bowl. Tohru felt her cheeks burn as his fingers brushed against her's. She gazed after him as he turned and stepped out of the room, her heart plummeting. Kyo-kun had been... oddly tense and uncomfortable today. She wished... she wanted... Tohru took a deep breath and wheeled around, a bright smile plastered on her face.

"How have you been? Momiji-kun? Hatsuharu-san?" she asked cheerily, settling down at her place at the table yet again. Her face... no one could've beaten that optimistic smile that glowed so brightly, but somehow... it was all wrong. Her expression was too bright, too optimistic. Her eyes were shut tightly, her brow ever-so-slightly twisted, as though she was about to break out into tears. All eyes were riveted carefully on her face, uncomfortable and desperate to look away, yet unable to at the same time. The same thoughts ran through all of their minds, only to be dismissed. It was impossible. Uneasy, awkward conversation eventually broke out, slowly, painfully, but it soon eased into gently, comfortable chattering. Tohru's expression cleared as the minutes ticked by, releasing the tension that has settled in everyone's mind. Momiji glanced over at her, his eyes soft. Tohru felt the gaze and met it with a slightly puzzled smile. Momiji reached out and gently took her hand in his.

* * *

Notes: Hmmm. This chapter ended up considerably shorter than the last, but that's because I chose to break up what I initially had planned into two chapters. Yeah. Chapter Three should be out by tomorrow, maybe Monday. We'll see.

In case anyone thought Momiji was out of character, it's because he is the grown up, mature Momiji. After Momiji got mature, he was so awesome. And adorable. coughs And no, this will not turn out to be a Momiji x Tohru fic. Although I am a fair supporter of Momiji and Tohru, I am a Kyoru fan at heart. I guess it doesn't look much like a Kyoru fanfic now, but it will. It will. The fires should start burning next chapter, so look forward to it.

To my reviewers: Thank you so much for your support! I was feeling a bit nervous about how people would like my fanfic, as it's my first, so your enthusiasm was very much appreciated.


	3. Muse

Disclaimer: See chapter 2.

* * *

The rest if the meal passed without great incident, excluding when Shigure pretended to choke on his rice in an attempt to convince Tohru to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He seemed to have been miraculously cured when Hatsuharu selflessly offered to do it himself. The conversation was calm and controlled, yet there seemed to be an underlying tension just under the surface, constantly threatening to erupt. The casual words seemed so forced, so careful; the expressions on the faces of the Sohmas were pleasant enough, but appeared almost tight. Tohru pretended not to notice the frequent looks exchanged between her companions, but each glance was like a sharp, stabbing pain that lanced through her stomach. She wanted so much to scream out, You can trust me! Please talk to me! But...

She couldn't take this. Not anymore. Her heart felt like it was being ripped out, torn to pieces, stomped on. Why were they so afraid to talk to her? Didn't they trust her? She looked down at her half-full bowl and felt her eyes begin to prick with tears. No. She didn't want to cry. Not now. Not in front of them. She had to be stronger than this.

Tohru stood sharply, startling the others, who stared up at her in surprise. "Honda-san?" Yuki inquired curiously. "What's the matter?"

"Eh? Oh, um, nothing! I'm just going to go see if Kyo-kun is finished eating," she told him cheerily, her smile bright and sunny. Yuki watched her wordlessly as she turned and skipped out, her hands clutching tightly at her skirt. Even now... what did she know? He had wondered before. Was it really just the stress from school? If not, what else could it be? There was no way she could know.

Momiji let out a gusty sigh. He turned his eyes sharply at Yuki, wondering slightly if his perception of the situation was true or not. "Yuki." Yuki closed his violet eyes and remained silent. Hatsuharu reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Does she know?" he asked bluntly. Yuki looked up with startled eyes that quickly faded to denial.

"No. At least... I don't think so," he said quietly. "I haven't said anything to her." He glanced at Shigure, who slowly shook his head. "Shigure hasn't, and Kyo..." He broke off, trying to find the words to voice his feelings, but Hatsuharu interjected, "There's no way he would say anything. He wouldn't want her to worry unnecessarily." Momiji nodded solemnly.

Yuki tightened his fists in frustration. "Who's to say it isn't necessary? Doesn't she have the right to know? What's going to happen when she wakes up one day and finds out that the baka neko is gone?" he ranted, his voice getting louder, angrier, with each word. Haru rested his elbows calmly on the table. "Or you," he commented impassively. Yuki's eyes widened sharply. "He... he hasn't said anything... has he? Nothing's been decided yet, has it?" he asked hesitantly, looking desperately over at Shigure.

The older man let out a short, barking laugh. "Why ask me? I'm not exactly in Akito's good graces, if you remember," he chuckled. He scratched at his chest and added, "If I was, I would live at the main house, wouldn't I? And you, the would-be runaway, wouldn't be living with me." His eyes held a sly, devious glitter as he watched Yuki's face carefully. Yuki's face paled visibly, before his jaw tightened and his face flushed red in deadly fury.

"What was that?"

Even Shigure cringed at the icy menace in the boy's voice. Yuki's eyes flashed dangerously, daring him to continue. Haru shook his head and sighed. "Sensei. You really took it too far this time," he informed the novelist, but his eyes also glinted with the signs of early anger. Shigure merely smirked and leaned back, saying nothing.

Momiji struggled to diffuse the overwhelming pressure in the room by saying quietly, "I heard Ha'ri talking to someone on the phone." All eyes snapped immediately to the blond boy. Yuki clenched his fists shut tight, the knuckles white with tension. His eyes begged Momiji to continue, but his pupils contracted with desperate fear of what he would say. Momiji kept his gaze firmly on the table, avoiding their eyes as he went on. "It was just the other night. Ha'ri was talking to someone, and they started talking about you, Yuki, and Kyo. Ha'ri was really formal about it all, but... I've known him all my life. He's not happy about it. He's been really strained lately." Shigure stiffened and looked away. His long lashes brushed his cheek silently as he closed his eyes without a word.

Momiji's voice seemed to get ever so slightly deeper as he continued his narration, and he seemed extremely hesitant, his voice trailing off several times before returning as strong and controlled as ever.. "They talked about Kyo first. Akito... Akito's still planning to come for him. The day after graduation. Ha'ri said... he said something about Tohru. The other person answered, and Ha'ri replied, 'Yes, I think that's what Akito's intending, after all.'" Yuki's blood turned to ice as his muscles tensed and froze beneath his skin. His breath caught in his throat. He had wondered before what Akito had planned for her, but... If he admitted it to himself, he'd scarcely believed that Akito would actually hurt her. He wouldn't... would he?

Momiji finally lifted his eyes and glanced anxiously at Yuki. "Y-you don't think Akito would actually hurt Tohru... d-do you?" Momiji's voice... it trembled helplessly as he stared into Yuki's eyes desperately, pleading for the gift of hope. It was times like these that Yuki could scarcely believe that this was his cousin, Momiji. Momiji had always been slow to develop. He was a late talker, a late walker, and even into high school he acted and was in turn treated like child. When Momiji suddenly grew, he had matured so quickly. The sudden leap, which took most children several years, occurred in only a couple of months. He coped with it remarkably well, but everyone has his limits. Yuki smiled kindly at the younger boy and put an awkward, but comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I promise," he said solemnly, "that I... we would never let anything happen to Honda-san. Ever." Momiji sniffed slightly and swiped a hand over his eyes. "Yeah," he mumbled, accepting Yuki's words seriously. Now if only I can keep my promise, Yuki thought guiltily.

"Anyway..." Momiji quickly regained his composure and continued his narration, his voice level. "After that, Ha'ri talked about you. He said that Akito kept changing his mind. Sometimes he says that he wants Yuki to come to him immediately after graduation, but then the next day he says that Yuki should go to university first." Momiji simply shrugged helplessly. Yuki stared down at his hands. Either option was hopeless. Going to university would simply put off the inevitable. It wouldn't prevent it. "But..." Yuki looked up at Momiji's thoughtful face, startled. "You know... I think that Ha'ri might be trying to convince Akito to let you go to university first. I'm sure he'd at least try," Momiji said firmly. Yuki laughed quietly. "Even if he did... he cannot go against. Akito. None of us can," he said dryly. Momiji grimaced and Haru chuckled softly.

Shigure let out a heavy sigh. A small grin twisted his lips as he looked up at his young cousins through narrowed eyes. "It is no use worrying about it now, is it?" he commented lightly, ignoring the surprised and rather disapproving glares from the others. Laughing under his breath, he continued, "I would be more anxious about Tohru-kun if I were you. Do you really think that Akito will leave her alone, Yuki-kun?" Yuki clenched his teeth and seemed to be on the verge of leaping to his feet in anger. What was this damn dog doing? He glanced at Momiji, whose face had paled significantly and seemed to be biting his lip to prevent it's quivering. Shooting a deadly icy look at Shigure, he asked coldly, "You didn't mention this a few minutes ago, did you? We would never let Akito harm Honda-san." Shigure simply snickered quietly and stared frankly at Yuki, amusement clear in his eyes. "My, my, Yuki-kun. How brave of you," he smiled, his voice blatantly ironic. "Funny. Didn't you just say that _none of us can_ go against Akito?" Yuki's lips tightened into a thin line. How dare that bastard throw his words back at him? Ignoring Yuki entirely, Shigure continued. "We must be prepared for the worst. I doubt that Akito would hurt her directly, though." Momiji seemed to visibly relax, but the words seemed to have the opposite effect on Hatsuharu; his eyes scanned Yuki thoughtfully, carefully taking in the tension and strain that coursed through his body. "Obviously, Akito could have her mind wiped. That would make all of the Juunishi suffer," Shigure mused. "But then, he could also refuse to let her forget and force her to live with the pain of loss. Whatever happens, I seriously doubt that Tohru-kun shall be allowed to stay with us for much longer."

Shigure fell silent, allowing the boys to mull things over in their own minds. He glanced up at the clock and rose sharply. "I'm afraid I have a meeting with my editor," he explained, in answer to their questioning looks. "Be good while I'm gone. Try not to destroy my house," he said cheerfully, loping quickly from the room to ready himself for his appointment.

Momiji looked helplessly to Yuki. "W-what do we do?"

Yuki avoided the younger boy's pleading eyes. What could he say? How could he comfort the boy when he himself suffered from so many misgivings?

_-What do we do?-_

* * *

Notes: Mmm. Hah. I halved the chapter once again. Again, I feel bad because this turns out to be such a short chapter. However, this takes care of some other placing issues I was worrying about, so... it works out. I promise, there will be some Kyoru fluff in the next chapter. ;;

Again, to my reviewers: thank you so much for your support!


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